Take your pick of indie comics at short Run Comix & Arts Festival. Photo by Alida Bevirt

FESTIVALShort Run Comix & Arts Festival11/3More than 280 top-tier comic book artists, writers, illustrators and small-press publishers from around the world gather at Fisher Pavilion at the eighth annual Short Run Comix & Arts Festival, a celebration of what organizers call “the intimate experience of holding a book in your hands.” Among the exhibitors and presenters are award-winning children’s book author Jessixa Bagley, local comic artist David Lasky, Gramma editor Colleen Louise Barry (see here), and animator and artist Clyde Petersen. Performances, panel discussions, live screen-printing and more fill this beloved book-focused fixture of the fall season. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free. Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; shortrun.org

An impressive lineup of authors (and illustrators) visit Benaroya Hall this season (many brought to town by Seattle Arts & Lectures), including Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau (10/14) with his latest collection of strips, #SAD!: Doonesbury in the Time of Trump. Can modern society handle These Truths: A History of the United States, Jill Lepore’s new novel (10/12)? Political mediator Van Jones, author of Beyond the Messy Truth, offers a voice of reason (10/10). Neil Gaiman promises to “amaze, befuddle and generally delight” with all-around literary debauchery (11/18). La creadora de El Color Púrpura, Alice Walker shares new bilingual poetry, Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart (10/4). Barbara Kingsolver poses more new-age conundrums in her latest novel, Unsheltered (10/25). And David Sedaris gets personal (natch) with selections from his latest book, Calypso (11/19). Times and prices vary. Benaroya Hall, downtown, 200 University St.; 206.215.4800; seattlesymphony.org, lectures.org

In Sally Field’s debut memoir, In Pieces, she reveals “the craft that helped her find her voice” (10/1). Expect Monty Python’s Eric Idle to expound on his own craft in his new autobiography, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (10/8). 7 p.m. Prices vary. University Temple United Methodist Church, University District, 1415 NE 43rd St.; 800.335.7323; brownpapertickets.com

At Elliott Bay Book Company, naturalist Sy Montgomery will read from her new book, How to Be a Good Creature (10/6), about the animals that changed her life; Ben Fountain chats with Maria Semple about events in America that have changed our lives, explored in his new tome, Beautiful Country Burn Again (10/18); and Jonathan Franzen, in an appearance yet to be confirmed, discusses his new book, a subject on everyone’s mind these days, The End of the End of the Earth (11/19). Times and prices TBD. Elliott Bay Book Company, Capitol Hill, 1521 10th Ave.; 206.624.6600; elliottbaybook.com - Maggie Kerr

OPERAThe Turn of the Screw10/13–10/27A small orchestra of just 13 musicians intensifies the creepy intimacy of Benjamin Britten’s 1954 opera, in which two children in an English country house are menaced by a ghost—or is their governess just going crazy? Or both? Times and prices vary. Seattle Opera, McCaw Hall, Seattle Center, 321 Mercer St.; 206.389.7676; seattleopera.org

CLASSICALMarc-André Hamelin10/17with a musical curiosity as unquenchable as his technique is unsurpassable, this pianist’s eclectic recital program matches standards by Bach and Chopin with arrangements of songs by French pop chansonnier Charles Trenet. 7:30 p.m. Prices vary. Meany Center, University of Washington, 4140 George Washington Lane NE; 206.543.4880; meanycenter.org

CLASSICALSheku Kanneh-Mason10/18–10/20He caught the world’s ear when he played for Harry and Meghan’s wedding, and the Seattle Symphony snapped him up. The 19-year-old cellist makes his U.S. debut playing Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations.” Times and prices vary. Benaroya Hall, downtown, 200 University St.; 206.215.4747; seattlesymphony.org

CLASSICALMateo Messina11/2This West Seattle native, now a busy film and TV composer, returns yearly with an evening of original orchestral music, plus surprises, to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital—$2 million to date. “The Feast” is this year’s concert theme, and Tom Douglas is just one of the food-industry guests. 8 p.m. Prices vary. Benaroya Hall, downtown, 200 University St.; 206.215.4747; lumaguild.org

CLASSICALBrooklyn Rider11/13Composer Caroline Shaw startled the classical world when she won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music—both for the enrapturing oddness of her composition Partita for Eight Voices and because she wasn’t a white male over 60. Seattle gets to hear her twice this season: a new piano concerto for the Seattle Symphony next January and a new piece for her adventurous string quartet, Brooklyn Rider, which will combine it with Beethoven. 7:30 p.m. Prices vary. Meany Center, University of Washington, 4140 George Washington Lane NE; 206.543.4880; meanycenter.org

JAZZBarrett Martin Group11/24Grammy-winning producer, composer and legendary grunge-era drummer Barrett Martin visits the Royal Room with his all-star avant-garde jazz ensemble, featuring Evan Flory-Barnes on bass and Thione Diop on African drums. His second album, The Quality of Fire, is set for release in January 2019. 9 p.m. $15. Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S; 206.906.9920; theroyalroomseattle.com

And in This Corner: Cassius Clay10/11–11/25Although for a time he was literally the most famous man in the world, Muhammad Ali had to start somewhere, and Idris Goodwin’s play for ages 9 and older examines the early life of “The Greatest,” exploring how the ugliness he faced in Louisville, Kentucky, during the Jim Crow era forged both his magnetic flamboyance and his social conscience. Times and prices vary. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Center, 201 Thomas St.; 206.441.3322; sct.org

Oslo10/12–11/11It was Bartlett Sher, the Intiman’s former artistic director (and 2008 Tony winner), who made this 2017 Tony winner possible: He introduced playwright J.T. Rogers to Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, who had helped negotiate the 1993 Israel/PLO peace accords, inspiring Rogers to turn that dramatic story of human ambition and world-changing history into a play. Times and prices vary. ACT – A Contemporary Theatre, downtown, 700 Union St.; 206.292.7676; acttheatre.org

A People’s History10/17–11/25The new solo show by Mike Daisey, muckraking enemy of conventional wisdom, is actually 18 shows: a series of evening-length monologues based on Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and examining the reality behind what your high school textbooks told you. Times and prices vary. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 155 Mercer St.; 206.443.2222; seattlerep.org

A Bright Room Called Day10/25–11/18In Tony Kushner’s play—presented by The Williams Project, a local theater ensemble producing work by and akin to Tennessee Williams—the dangerous rhetoric of a newly elected president and his dismantling of democratic institutions spur a group of artists to consider their consciences and how to resist. It’s set in Berlin 1932. Why, when did you think it was set? Times and prices vary. Hillman City Collaboratory, Hillman City, 5623 Rainier Ave. S; thewilliamsproject.org

My Ántonia11/29–12/30Book-it transforms Willa Cather’s lyrical tale of a Czech farm woman and the idealistic young man who tells her story. It should make for interesting discussions of what it meant for Cather—who, growing up, liked to be addressed as “William”—to view a female character through a male narrator’s eyes. Times and prices vary. Book-It Repertory Theater, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; 206.216.0833; book-it.org g.b.

Zinzanni Rides Again

Seattle’s celebrated dinner cabaret opens its 20th-anniversary season with new cast members, new acts and a new world headquarters in Woodinville. Not going anywhere are its high-flying aerialists, hoop artists, quirky storylines and a menu curated by James Beard Award–winning chef Jason Wilson. Season opens 11/1. Times and prices vary. Teatro ZinZanni, Redmond, 4025 21st Ave. W; 206.802.0015; zinzanni.com/seattle

Dueling Jane EyresHow this season’s two versions are different

Book-It is going feminist: “Jane is not defined by the men in her world, nor does she accept the limiting doctrines and social norms of her day.” 9/13–10/14. Times and prices vary. Book-It Repertory Theater, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; 206.216.0833; book-it.org

Come from Away was born in Ontario, but Seattle created it and sent it off to circle the globe. It’s the poignant and uplifting story of what happened when 38 international flights were diverted to a small Newfoundland town on September 11, 2001. The musical, which has been playing on Broadway since February 2017, is returning home for a 10/9–11/4 run at The 5th Avenue Theatre, where it was first workshopped in 2014 (it was last staged in the city in 2015 in a co-production with Seattle Repertory Theatre). It’s a high point in the 2018-2019 season’s packed calendar of musical theater.

SAM's Peacock in the Desert features this 1853 opaque watercolor and gold on paper hunting scene. Courtesy Neil Greentree

Visual Art

By Gwendolyn Elliot and Alanna Wight

TEXT ARTQuenton Baker, Ballast10/6–1/27/19Prize-winning Seattle poet Quenton Baker has created this provocative exhibit which considers the successful 1841 slave revolt aboard the slave ship Creole. (The enslaved Madison Washington commandeered the vessel, bound for Louisiana, to the British island of Nassau, where slavery was outlawed, gaining 135 people their freedom.) This spectacular story is explored using pages from the Senate document concerning the case, marked up to obscure or reveal select passages, creating what the Frye museum describes as “a layered text-and-image environment that amplifies a sense of oscillation between legibility and illegibility, and of loss or un-speakability within fragmented historical narratives.” Times vary. Free. Frye Art Museum, First Hill, 704 Terry Ave.; 206.622.9250; fryemuseum.org

TREASURED ARTIFACTSPeacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India10/18–1/21/2019SAM's major fall exhibit collects exquisite royal artifacts—jewels, textiles, weapons, paintings, furnishings, wedding regalia (including elephant howdahs, or saddles) and more (most of which have never before left India)—spanning four centuries from the Marwar-Jodhpur kingdom in northwest India. Themes of this landmark traveling exhibit, which originated at Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, explore the connection of the royal family to its subjects, the role of artists and women in the culture, and how traditions changed over time. Times and prices vary. Seattle Art Museum, downtown, 1300 First Ave.; 206.654.3100; seattleartmuseum.org

INSTALLATIONEdgar Arceneaux: Library of Black Lies11/17–Summer 2019Los Angeles–based Arceneaux calls this house-like installation a “library and a labyrinth.” Entering the structure, viewers encounter a book library with titles that speak to “the ways we acquire knowledge…how America likes to share its history…how translation and transcription are always inherently interpretive.” Arceneaux explains that the piece is different from a maze because, while mazes are “designed to get lost in, labyrinths are designed for you to find yourself in the middle.” Times and prices vary. Henry Art Gallery, University District, 4100 15th Ave. NE; 206.543.2280; henryart.org

GLASSBAM Biennial 2018: Glasstastic11/9–4/14/19This time, the Bellevue Arts Museum’s biennial showcase explores the one medium forever linked to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. But move over, Venetians and sea forms, this is glass like you’ve never seen it: an army of glass-beaded combat soldiers; angular, prismatic, see-through sculpture. Forty-eight emerging and established artists were selected to participate in this juried show with one awarded the top prize of $5,000 and a future solo exhibition at the museum. Times and prices vary. Bellevue Arts Museum, downtown Bellevue, 510 Bellevue Way NE; 425.519.0770; bellevuearts.org

INSTALLATION Borealis Festival of Light10/11–10/14The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) hosts this first U.S. festival at Lake Union Park, featuring the work of international and regional light artists working in video projection, neon, experimental modes and more. Approximately 20 installations comprise the event, punctuated by concurrent light-focused exhibits around town, such as Maja Petric’s We Are All Made of Light at MadArt Studio, which runs 10/5–12/1. Starts at dusk. Free. MOHAI, South Lake Union, 860 Terry Ave. N; 206.324.1126; mohai.org

SCULPTUREMargie Livingston, Sculpture11/1–12/22The founding member of Seattle artist collective Soil, Livingston pulls away another layer from her ever evolving process (she is a painter, sculptor and performance artist, among other roles) with this collection of acrylic-coated string and mixed-media sculptures and painted canvas frames she has taken to dragging across the city and through fields, strapped to her back with a harness. Times vary. Free. Greg Kucera Gallery, Pioneer Square, 212 Third Ave. S; 206.624.0770; gregkucera.com

PAINTING/PRINTSGeorges Rouault, Miserere11/2–12/1You would be correct to think that this collection of the French, latter-day Impressionist’s prints are gloomy. The late New York curator Monroe Wheeler once wrote of them, “The message seems to be: Man’s fate upon earth is tragic. It is very hard for him to be sincere.... As a rule, his hope is folly.” These images, however, are rare, and their stark and graphic imagery indicative of a powerful time of contemplation. Times vary. Free. Davidson Gallery, Pioneer Square, 313 Occidental Ave. S; 206.624.7684; davidsongalleries.com

PAINTING Sarah McRae Morton12/6–12/23Animals—often oversize creatures, such as bears and whales—are the focus of many of this artist’s pieces, oil-on-canvas works whose feathery brushstrokes pull the viewer into dreamlike, mythical realms where horses ride men, canines take a seat at the table, and an imagination inspired by the natural world and its inhabitants goes on forever. Times vary. Free. Foster/White Gallery, Pioneer Square, 220 Third Ave. S; 206.622.2833; fosterwhite.com

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble10/4–10/6as much a commune as a dance company, the women of Indian classical dance collective Nrityagram live and study together in a holistic approach to dance training. As The New Yorker’s Joan Acocella put it, at their performances, “You get sensuality and majesty, emotion and philosophy, holiness and a good time.” 8 p.m. Ticket prices TBD. Meany Center, University of Washington, 4140 George Washington Lane NE; 206.543.4880; meanycenter.org

Solo: A Festival of Dance10/4–10/7Beattle’s main locus of innovative performance presents this new festival exploring choreographic solo work performed by local and national artists. Times and prices vary. On the Boards, Queen Anne, 100 W Roy St.; 206.217.9886; ontheboards.org

Savion Glover12/22Both a pathbreaker and a keeper of the flame, Glover is considered by many as simply the greatest tap dancer ever. His new touring show, “All Funk’d Up,” brings six musicians and a company of dancers for an evening of hard-hitting, dazzlingly suave rhythm. 8 p.m. Prices vary. The Moore Theatre, downtown, 1932 Second Ave.; 206.467.5510; stgpresents.org

Although two Seattle dance companies were still finalizing fall lineups as we went to press and details were sparse, we now know that Spectrum Dance Company's fall season includes the Merce Cunningham-inspired Occurrence #5 (11/9–11/11) & Occurrence #6 (12/6–12/8), and Iolanta, a performance billed as a "family friendly dance theater experience."(12/13–12/16).

Highlights from Velocity Dance Center's fall season includes its annual high energy Fall Kick Off (9/28–9/30), as well as Kate Wallich’s exploratory dance workshop YC2 (9/20–9/23) and dance company Hypernova's Bitter Suites (11/8–11/11). Times, prices and venues vary. spectrumdance.org, velocitydancecenter.org